7 Things That Might Happen If You Wake Up 2 Hours Earlier Every Day

Carpe diem (before the sun comes up)

Most mornings, we roll out of bed just in time to shower, look presentable enough and be out the door. It gets the job done, but it’s also kind of stressful, and always leaves us wishing we had gotten up sooner (ya know, to be somewhat productive). So we tried, and it’s pretty great. Here, seven things you might notice if you set your alarm for two hours earlier than usual.

You’ll enjoy your evenings more When you wake up earlier, you can get menial but necessary tasks like paying bills and tidying up your house out of the way before you really start your day. That means, by nighttime, you’re free to do whatever you please without the burden of all those little things on your to-do list.

Even though you’ll probably go to bed earlier (eventually)Waking up earlier doesn’t mean you have to sleep less; you’re just going to need to adjust your sleep schedule on the front-end as well. And after a few days of this, you’ll be welcoming your sheets at the appropriate time.

You might be more productive Allow us to introduce you to the concept of the “golden hour.” Basically, this is the time of the day when you’re most productive. It’s different for every person, but statistically, there’s a fair chance yours is before you’re currently waking up. Try setting your alarm for a couple hours earlier for a few days and see if you notice a spike in getting stuff done. We’re not saying the wee hours of the morning are definitely your time, but you’ll never know if you don’t give it a shot.

And you might be late less Giving yourself more than enough time to start your day ensures that things can go wrong and you’ll still be prepared to get out of the house when you need to. Maybe you're always rushing into a meeting a couple crucial minutes late. Maybe it's a constant struggle to get the kids to school before the first bell rings. Either way, allowing for wiggle room in the morning means you’re way more likely to be punctual.

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

You might eat more healthily When we’re crunched for time, our breakfast is usually whatever we can grab as we’re sprinting out the door (if we have breakfast at all). With some more time in the a.m., you can put actual thought into your first meal, whether it’s a delicious batch of egg sandwiches you make at the beginning of each week or an energizing bowl of breakfast quinoa.

And you might exercise more By the end of the day, it’s really easy to make excuses not to exercise. And we totally get it; we’re pooped by 6 p.m., too. Getting up earlier allows you to get a sweat in right away. It’ll take some getting used to, but morning workouts wake you up immediately and make you feel more accomplished for the rest of the day. Win-win.

You might be pleasantly surprised Yes, it’s tough to change your wake-up time so radically, but if you stick with it, soon enough it becomes habit and feels pretty awesome. Freeing up time during some of the quietest hours of the day feels relaxing and productive and peaceful. It’s a much calmer way to start the day and lets you ease into your many responsibilities without the added stress of feeling like you’re already behind schedule.